Grace Kim's miraculous comeback to win the Evian Championship, becomes Australia's fifth major winner

Kieran Francis

Grace Kim's miraculous comeback to win the Evian Championship, becomes Australia's fifth major winner  image

Australia has a fifth women's golf major winner with Grace Kim winning the Evian Championship courtesy of an miraculous fightback.

The 24-year-old was up to four shots behind in the final round before defeating world no.2 Jeeno Thitikul on the second playoff hole of the France-based major.

Kim - ranked 99 in the world before the event - carded three eagles in a final round 67, including an eagle-birdie-eagle finish to lift the trophy in an extraordinary playoff against Thai star Thitikul.

Despite Australia having three players in contention - Kim, Minjee Lee and Gabriela Ruffels - Thitikul got her nose in front and was poised to capture her first major until Kim landed an incredible eagle on the par 5 18th hole to send the result to a playoff hole.

MORE: Aussie golf star Minjee Lee wins third major, secures $3.7m payday

When Kim struck her second shot into a hazard on the first playoff hole, Thitikul looked a certainty to win but Kim amazingly chipped in for a birdie to second the title to a second playoff hole.

Kim's hot-streak continued as she carded another eagle on the second playoff hole to win her first major and only her second LPGA title - after claiming the Lotte Championship in 2023.

She now joins Karrie Webb, Lee, Hannah Green and Jan Stephenson as Australia's major golf winners across the five annual events.

Kim reflected on her victory and also spoke of the incredible chip-in on the first playoff hole.

"I don't know how it happened, really," Kim said after her extraordinary win.

She continued: "I wasn't worried. Dropped the ball and it kind of ended up in a pretty decent lie and I just wanted to make sure I got it there.

"Yeah, just happened to have chipped it in. I don't know if I can do it again. That was great."

Australia has now won two of the four LPGA majors played so far in 2025, with Lee clinching the Women's PGA Championship last month.

Kieran Francis

Kieran Francis is a senior editor at The Sporting News based in Melbourne, Australia. He started at Sportal.com.au before being a part of the transition to Sporting News in 2015. Just prior to the 2018 World Cup, he was appointed chief editor of Goal.com in Australia. He has now returned to The Sporting News where his passions lay in football, AFL, poker and cricket - when he is not on holiday.